No Business Like Show Business
by ChicFlick97
Summary: When Nega Bandicoot and Pinstripe Potoroo become allies, it means trouble for Kate. While she's kidnapped, Crash must face someone from her past, and team up with him to try to find out what happened to her.
1. Prologue

**No Business like Show Business**

* * *

The sun began setting quietly along the edge of the horizon. Various evolved creatures that inhabited the islands of N. Sanity were beginning to bunker down and prepare for the night's rest. However, there were those that were nocturnal beings who thrived at the dark of nighttime. A select few of these were presently sitting in a bar, dejected faces and liquor in hand. The name of said bar was _Ace of Spades, _or just "The Spades" to some, a place that was the largest hotspot in Wumpa City. However, when one of the main stage dancers quit, business declined greatly, and it left the owner in a pit of debt.

Pinstripe Potoroo, clad in his usual red suit, gazed at one of his few patrons with disdain. There he sat in the shade of the tavern, eyes full of disappointment. "Marty," he said, "I'm going to have to shut Spades down if I can't manage to get a good amount of customers."

Marty was a thin rat, and also Pinstripe's leading man. He was in charge of the mic during show hours. He wore a lavender open top and dark green pants. He too, was staring at the drowsy-looking patron nearest to them. "Yeah… but boss, how else are we supposed to get money?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Pinstripe growled. "We're losing more than we can make, you idiot!" To calm his nerves, he had another intake from his large cigar. "The only people coming in here are washed-up deadbeats like 'Skippy McGee' over there."

The now-nicknamed "Skippy's" eyes closed as his head drooped with sleep. Pinstripe and Marty groaned in unison.

"We need Tawna back," said the latter. Pinstripe frowned and curled a fist.

"No we don't. We can't rely on the tramp to feed us. We'll just have to find somebody else."

"Like who? Heidi isn't exactly as hot after she had that kid of hers."

"I know, I know. That's her own damn fault. What we need is a freakin' miracle."

Then, strangely as if on cue, the ancient bell to their pub rang. That meant someone was coming in. Pinstripe so desperately wanted a customer that he nearly sprang up in eagerness to meet the fellow. Nevertheless, he was able to retain himself. The two gang members watched with interest as a silhouette clad in a tan trench coat sauntered across the floorboards to a table. They couldn't decipher a face due to the sun's glare; and yet they made out a pair of yellow eyes.

The dark figure's eyes were at first distant, but then they quickly averted to the dozing vermin whom Pinstripe and Marty were partially concerned about. He walked over, heels belonging to snake boots clicking away. He flipped "Skippy" out of the chair, leaving the unfortunate rat to lay a groaning heap on the floor. He plopped into the seat with a sigh, kicking his feet onto the table. He took out a cigarette, and looked at Pinstripe.

"Your business is certainly booming," he chuckled in a dark, raspy Australian accent. Pinstripe furrowed his brow and snorted.

"Yeah? And just who the hell are you?"

The newcomer's head tilted directly toward the bar owner, and they could make out a crimson-and-cream face with a grin of sharp, pearly canines. "Name's Nega Bandicoot, mate." He inhaled on his cigarette, blowing out a stream of neat grey smoke. "I've been here once or twice before, but now I'm trying to get myself a permanent place here in the city. You might just be seeing me more often."

Pinstripe was oddly fascinated with this character. He looked like he had a harder past than anyone that had set foot in this bar before. Nega's eyes drifted downward in thought. "You know, I remember there being an awfully attractive blonde working here about two years ago."

"Yes, yes, we know Tawna," Marty grumbled. Pinstripe slugged his assailant in a signal to stop talking.

"You wouldn't happen to know her, do you?"

"Not personally," Nega replied. "Although I heard she was the life of the bedroom." He flicked the ashes into a tray, and gave a half-hearted smile. "Yet, I do know of a girl just as good looking, if not better."

"I'd like to see that," Pinstripe scoffed.

"I'm serious," Nega said. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a crumpled photo. He tossed it to the potoroo. Upon seeing the picture he wrinkled his nose in distaste.

"Well, she's not too shabby for a human, so help me God I've actually said that, but I can't have one of them dirtying up my bar."

"She's not a human anymore," Nega sneered. "She's gone full-out bandicoot. Don't ask me how; I don't have the slightest clue. But I do know that she's got much better looks than that now."

"How do I know I can trust you?" Pinstripe glared. Nega simply shrugged.

"Two reasons: your bar is going to shit, and I want her. Face it, gang leader; if we worked together, we could get what we need."

"Are you saying she wants to work here?" Pinstripe asked.

"No. She's too busy stuffing herself with that pretty boy. She wouldn't work here anyway." He tapped his clawed fingers on the table in contemplation. Pinstripe narrowed his eyes at him with a crooked grin.

"I bet I can get her to work here, with a little help from my friends of course. You'd have to lead the way my friend."

Nega's expression altered with curiosity. "Are you suggesting we kidnap her?"

"Only if you want to."

They were quiet for a few moments longer. By now, the sun was already setting and a dark purple lit the sky. Nega's eyes filled with zeal. "Then, let's talk about my end of the deal."

* * *

It was the average rainy night in the outskirts of Seattle, Washington. Pine trees were everywhere, and a stretch of highway cut the forest in half. A black cargo van sped quickly down the highway, windshield wipers at full throttle. Inside sat a young man with quite long, dark brown hair and similar eyes. His brow was in a constant rut in concentration. Behind him, computers and scanners buzzed with life, maps scattered everywhere.

It might seem that the lad with his straight, centre-parted to-the-shoulder hairdo was actually working with the government. Albeit, he doesn't. The man felt a vibration in his pocket, so he answered his global phone. "What do you want, Gary?"

"Andy, I—"

"Andrew," he corrected his caller in irritation. "I'm twenty-six years old, man."

"Alright, alright. I was just checking up on you."

"I don't believe there's anything to check up on."

"Have you had any luck yet?"

Andrew swallowed. His uncle was referring to the search of Kate Clark. It had been two years since the young woman disappeared so suddenly, and the only one who had a lead on her was her uncle Gary. Of course, it was quite a day when the stout old man called saying that a character by the name of "Jack" had run off with her.

"No, I haven't. I just came back from Germany, and the whole country couldn't even help me. I've tried everything."

"Oh. Well, I was just making sure you're all right, boy. I don't want to lose you too."

"Gary, I'll be fine. Don't worry about it. I'll find Kate, and then things can return back to normal hopefully."

"…okay."

"Later," Andrew said, and quickly hung up the phone. He chewed nervously on the bottom of his lip as he noticed he was approaching the city limits, and motel. He could use a few hours of sleep.


	2. Life at Home

**No Business like Show Business**

* * *

He had no idea it would end like this.

Crash Bandicoot stared up at the face of his doom with dread. "Please, I'm begging you…" he whimpered. His beseeching proved vain. A pair of grey-green eyes glowered at him with pure evil.

"Crash, go do it… or else."

"Or else what? You'll pummel me?" Yet, that was what the she-devil intended to do exactly.

"You have 'til the count of three. One."

He rolled his eyes and folded his arms. "So what."

"Two."

He bit his lip with anticipation. He stared at her with an absolutely pitiful expression.

"Thr—"

He shot off like a rocket. Kate Clark stood at the door of the house proudly, a smirk twisting her features. Crunch Bandicoot ceased his jog to observe what had just occurred. "Man, you've got him whipped."

"Don't you just love it?" she said. She turned to him. "So Crunch, I was wondering. What do you think about my hair?" She was referring to the large bun at the back of her hair, and her bangs combed back with it.

The burgundy bandicoot simply shrugged. "Why don't you just cut it? I mean, your hair has grown quite a bit since you got here."

"I know, but I've been growing it out for almost five years now. Why quit?"

"There's a time to quit everything," he sighed, beginning his stretching. "For instance, smoking. Better yet, drinking. We all know you have a fetish for alcohol, Kate."

She made a face. "Well maybe you should quit working out."

"When hell freezes over," Crunch replied, beginning his afternoon run around the jungle. "Then you call me." Kate grumbled a curse and began her own trek; though this one in the direction inside. Just as she entered, a voice rang out through the house.

"Kate, how do I turn this thing on?"

The redhead groaned. "Maybe if you'd take a shower every once in a while you might know!"

"Well excuse me for not appreciating hygiene as much as a woman!"

"I don't want to hear it, buddy! I had that shower installed so we wouldn't have to walk a mile to some lagoon to bathe! You promised that if we got a shower, you'd bathe more often! I don't see you until you're clean, do you understand me?"

Coco poked her head out of her room, and looked at Kate. "What are you two yelling about?"

She sighed. "Crash is complaining about taking a shower."

"I don't see the point in—AH! HOT! HOT!" he shouted in anguish. Coco giggled.

"It's just a miracle you got him to wash that pelt of his." Her tone lowered into a whisper. "If I step out to visit Darius, will you tell him I just went off to explore with Pura?"

"Of course. But, you might want to take the big cat with you in case he gets suspicious," Kate suggested. Coco nodded.

"Thank you."

She clapped at the mighty Bengal tiger, which was growing up very quickly. Within a few months, he's sure to be a full-grown adult. Kate noted to herself not to get into any spats. Pura never seemed to fancy strangers, and although she'd been living there for almost two years, he was still hostile towards her on occasion.

The two left, leaving Kate alone in the house with Crash.

She clasped her hands together, and she considered her options. For one, she could strip herself and have a romantic time with Crash. On the other hand, it would be bad news if Crunch walked in and then again, she didn't feel like the runt really deserved it right now. Secondly, she could read one of her favorite horror novels. Stephen King always did captivate her. But, she wasn't in the mood for that either.

What did Crash do in times of boredom?

With the answer quickly at hand, Kate plunked onto the couch and began to doze instantly.

* * *

Crash shook his entire body as he stepped onto the tile floor of his bathroom. Who did that woman think she was, ordering him around all the time? Before Kate, things were a lot more smooth-sailing and simple. He could sleep all day and not have to worry much about anything. Of course, Coco was on him sometimes, but that red-haired demon was on his case constantly.

Suddenly, his foot slid across the ground, and he barely caught himself. With a quick curse, he grabbed the white towel set out for him and burst out of the restroom. He walked into his room, quickly dressed himself in the usual attire of jean shorts and sneakers, and he jogged into the living room. There, he saw Kate's latent form.

"Aw," he said. "Maybe she's not so evil all the time." Crash made room for himself on the couch, slightly rousing the napping lover of his.

"Mhm… Crash?" she muttered. "Did you take your shower?"

"Yes, mother. I'm squeaky clean," he said. Kate leaned on him with a tired laugh.

"You still smell like wet dog."

"What will it take to please you, female? You've been nothing but trouble ever since you got here."

"Yeah, well," Kate said, standing up. "Trouble's gotta make a trip." She began her trek into the hallway. Crash's mouth fell ajar.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Women have to use the bathroom too, dummy." With that, Crash heard the bathroom door shut, and he heaved a sigh. Suddenly, Crunch entered the house, panting.

"Glad to see you outran that pack of toddlers," Crash joked. "I thought they would've eaten you alive." Crunch shot him a deadly glare.

"Zip it, imbecile. Where's Kate?"

A scream rang out from the bathroom, followed by a clattered noise. Crash gave his adoptive brother an apprehensive glance before flitting off to inspect. He hesitated opening the bathroom door for fear of seeing Kate doing her business, but hearing a shout of terror like that, it didn't matter. He flung open the door, and gasped at what utter chaos lied before him.

* * *

With a quick flick of his wrist, Nega popped out a pocket knife. "Okay fellas, here's what we're gonna do, so pick your ears and pay close attention, all right?"

It was the cellar of the Spades, where a group of various evolved creatures were present. These were the head members of Pinstripe's gang. Above them, there was a dim light bulb that swayed with any movement. Nega pointed the blade of the knife to a part of the map of the Wumpa Islands, N. Sanity to be specific.

"This is where they live. I could see it from that big castle that Cortex once had," he explained. "We gotta go in there and get her."

"And how they hell do you expect us to do that?" asked a burly grey field rat who happened to be missing a fraction of his mouth. "She lives with Crash Bandicoot! She's practically untouchable."

"Said the rodent who hasn't seen me kidnap her before," Nega sneered deadly. "Look, Rondo. I know that girl, and I know Crash. If anything, he'll do something stupid to upset her and she'll be pissed off in no time. We just have to get in there before they can kiss and make-up."

"Your methods sound impossible," Pinstripe remarked.

Nega chuckled. "Improbable, not impossible. There's more than one way to get her, but the best way is alone. Their island protector spirit is in a state of undisturbed meditation. His magic can't track her here, anyway."

"Well what about the bandicoots?" asked Marty.

"If they cause any problems, which I doubt, we kill 'em. Easy as that."

The group nodded. Pinstripe leaned forward into the light. "You talk a big game. But, let's say that Clark may get the chance to escape. She runs back to that orange bastard and he comes back to throttle us."

"You're not seriously afraid of him, are you?" Nega returned.

"No, I'm being realistic. Every enemy of his knows that he's too lucky. He found a way all these years to stop Cortex, and even you."

"Hey, excuse me for being optimistic, but he has a weakness now. When Kate's gone, he'll be nothing but a depressed pile of fecal matter. When we have Kate, crush any hopes she may have, she'll stay with us."

The entire assembly stared at the crimson bandicoot, stunned. Then, Pinstripe smiled. "Men, I think Satan may be on our side."


	3. Fall's here already?

**No Business like Show Business**

* * *

Crash observed the train wreck in front of him.

Before Kate could even manage to do her business, she slipped on the wet tile and fell bottom first into the toilet, its lid open. Part of the mirror was broken due to her plunge, along with bottles strewn all over the room. Her body was the most absurd of all. She lay in an awkward position; arms outspread, right holding onto the sink and the left grabbing the shower curtain. One leg was clinging to the bathtub, the other pointing outwards to the door.

As her terrified expression stared at the wall opposite of where she collapsed, Crash thought things couldn't get worse. Then, an open bottle of mouthwash—which he recalled using earlier—tipped over the edge of the cabinet above the toilet and its liquid contents poured out and splattered all over the unfortunate bandicootess.

Crash couldn't possibly restrain himself any longer. He laughed for all he was worth and leaned against the wall for balance. Kate blinked a few times before realizing what he was doing, and gazed up at him. Tears streamed from his eyes and he had to hold his stomach. She struggled out of her predicament, and stood up, her long hair falling out of the bun. Her face reddened as she felt that she was soaked with Listerine and toilet water. Her fists curled, her knuckles audibly cracking and a dark, menacing glare distorting her features.

"Oh… oh-ho… hoo, boy… Wow," Crash said breathlessly, his merriment reducing to chuckling. He wiped the tears from his eyes and gave Kate a wide smile. "So, fall's here already?"

"Get out," she replied, voice low and dangerous.

"What? I was only thinking… if oil spills are just as awful as the one you had just then, I'm starting to think they're actually a problem."

"Crash…"

"Oh, and I have to say, I still think you're rather pretty when you're soaked. Now you have a trace of mint in the mix. That's not so bad, is it?"

* * *

Crunch Bandicoot was sorting through his materials half-mindedly. His room was tidy, movies arranged neatly and a small television sitting on his dresser. There was something about this place that just didn't satisfy him. Was it the food? No, no, that was more than likely the best part. Was it Crash's rude and sharp attitude? It _was_ getting old, but he figured that wasn't quite it either.

Maybe it was time to move on. After all, he'd lived with Coco and Crash for years as an adoptive brother, but, he had this feeling that perhaps it was time to go. He was an adult, and he could live by himself; maybe he'd even find his own lover. Crash actually had to go halfway across the globe to find his. Perchance, he had to do the same thing, although rounding the globe might be a bit extreme—

"GET OUT!"

Suddenly, Crunch heard a large thump following the sharp yell. He arose from his contemplations and looked out through his doorway. He saw Crash sprawled on the ground, groaning a few vulgarities. The orange bandicoot sat up, brow furrowed and rubbing a sore spot on his head.

"Crikey, that's girl packs a wallop."

Crunch knew right away that this idgit did something. "What did you do now?"

Crash was hurt. "Why do you automatically assume that I did something wrong? When you assume, you make an _'ass'_ out of_ 'u'_ and _'me'."_

"Come on," Crunch insisted. "Everyone who knows you also knows that you're an insensitive, annoying, lazy lump of fuzz."

"That's not true."

"Oh? Well then explain why your little girlfriend pushed you out of the bathroom."

"Well, the poor girl took a nasty spill, and I just couldn't help but express how I felt during the situation."

"…you laughed at her, didn't you?"

"Wouldn't you?" Crash replied with a small grin. "Sure it wasn't the most helpful thing to do, but I couldn't control myself."

"You never can, can you?" Crunch said. "You know, your relationship would probably be a lot better if you grew up a little."

With that, Crunch went back into his room. Crash stared at the closed ivory door blankly, and felt his ear twitch. He looked back over to the bathroom, and stood. He cautiously paced over, and his features turned grave. On the other side, he heard sobbing.

"Kate," he said, "can I come in?" He paused for a few seconds and spoke again. "Babe, open the door. I'm sorry." He noticed that the weeping stopped, and figured it was safe to enter. Crash turned the handle and walked inside. Then, eyes large with shock, he saw that the open window was casting a breeze into the empty lavatory.

* * *

She ran. Her eyes were still mildly wet, but she figured the best way to make herself feel better was to just walk away and cool off. Kate snuck past the kitchen window, and stopped. There, she saw the same strange device that Crash carried with him when they first met.

"Kate!"

She gasped. She didn't have time to think about it, but she grabbed it. She dashed off into the jungle, and ran as fast as her nimble legs could carry her. Kate swiftly scaled a tall lush tree, and rested on a branch. She was out of breath, and was still sore from her embarrassing tumble.

Why did he laugh?

Kate brought her knees up to her chest and folded her arms over them. "He's such an ass," she mumbled. With a blank face, she stared at the small gadget she suddenly decided to take at the last moment. It looked like a walkie-talkie more than anything, but as soon as she pressed a small button on the grey side, a cap popped open. Underneath it was a keypad.

The redhead blinked. This was a cell phone.

She became more interested in it instantly. She held it with both hands now, scrutinizing the communication device further. There was a large amount of things that were puzzling; for instance, there was a button that said "HOME TELEPORTATION". However, that was somewhere she did not desire to be, so she left it alone. She noticed the red button she used to first talk to Coco.

Kate called to mind that incident. It was a while ago, but she could remember it quite clearly. Crash had decided to take a shower (for reasons unknown), and suddenly his little sister Coco called on this device. Of course, it was the walkie-talkie function, and she wanted Crash. Kate herself had been a human at the time and figured it would be fun poking around with it while he was in there.

With a small smile, her mind returned to the present. Crash told her that Coco called quite often during their time alone. She had to admit, she was a nice little sister. Kate didn't mind referring to her as her own relative, either. Then, a lump formed within her throat. Kate's lips tightened as she stared at the mechanism in horror.

She was a little sister too.

Her fingers trembled. She gulped tensely as she considered what she was going to do next. But, before she did so, she found herself dialing the number already. If this truly was a cell phone, it would reach someone's phone line. Yet, if it wasn't and the keypad was obsolete, Kate wasn't sure she'd be disappointed or relieved.

She held up the "phone" to her scarred right ear, hands shaking. Her pupils dilated as she heard ringing. Now what was she going to do? She couldn't possibly find anything to say. What could she say anyway?

"Hello?"

Kate's voice stuck in her throat, along with her breath. She couldn't form words, let alone a decent greeting. "Hello…? Is anyone there?" the male voice asked again.

"…hi."

She pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation. Wow, almost two years and that's that first thing you say to him? Good job, Clark. Good job.

"Hi…? Who is this?"

"Andy… Andy, it's me," she muttered. But, from his hesitant reply, she knew he heard her.

"It's Andrew," was his tired response. "Who's 'me?'"

Kate knew how disbelieving her own brother was. It couldn't take the world's most respected scientists to make him believe that aliens were communicating with them. So, she had to take a different approach. "During the year of 2010, there was a girl who lived outside of Tuba City, her birthplace. Suddenly, after work, she disappeared and hasn't been seen since. Andrew Clark, I am that girl."

The line was utterly silent for what seemed to last an eternity. "…Kate…?"

She smiled and blew out a breath. "Yes."

* * *

"Oh my God…" Andrew replied. He couldn't decide to cry, laugh, or scream. He stopped driving, and put a hand over his mouth. As soon as he had his moment, he glanced forward across the road. "Where are you? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied with a small chuckle. He was thankful, and for the first time in a while, he also laughed.

"Kate, where have you been? You've been gone for almost two years."

"That's not important right now. I'm… well, don't get mad, because I know how you are… but I've got a boyfriend."

"What? You're saying you disappeared completely for a _guy_? Kate, we didn't know if you were alive or dead! I didn't know! What the hell is wrong with you?" he shouted. But, he soon regretted it. He didn't want to yell at her. She had the power to hang up and not talk to him anymore. "I'm sorry… but, don't you realize what you did?"

"Yes, and that's why I called you," Kate replied. "Stop looking for me. Please."

"Are you _kidding_ me? I spent everyday since you've vanished off the face of the Earth looking for you."

"Andrew, don't argue with me."

"…I never realized how much you sounded like Mom," he said quietly. She tripped over her own words for a minute, and coughed.

"J-just… I ask of you to please stop searching for me. You won't like what you find. You won't be able to go back. That's why I had to stay. I would love to come back, but I can't."

Andrew's brow fell in thought. He felt himself bristle. "It's Jack, isn't it?"

"What? No, no, you're not getting—"

"Lemme guess; your little 'boyfriend' is making you stay there, isn't he? Did he brainwash you or something?"

"No! Gees, listen for once! Do not, I repeat, **do not** try to look for me anymore! Andrew, I hate to say it, but I can never come back."

Andrew's lips pursed. He felt his eyes water up a bit as he grinded his teeth against each other. He cleared his throat. "I love you, Kate."

"…I love you too, Andy. I'll… I'll call you more often though, okay? I have to go. Bye."

The line ended. The young man leaned back in his seat, and grinned. Then he snickered. Soon, it became a hysterical laugh. He laughed until his stomach ached. He picked up his phone and plugged in into a monitor. It illuminated with life, and he pressed a few buttons. A globe appeared, turning to a position that surprised him. As he finished his amusement, he raised a brow.

"Australia, huh? Well, guess I have to make a trip to Gary's."

He knew he was going directly against his sister's orders, but he didn't care. Who was she to tell him stop? It was like telling him to stop caring, and so long as he's alive it will never happen. He pressed his foot on the gas pedal and began his drive to Arizona.

* * *

Kate sighed and hung up the phone. Her spirits were low now, but she couldn't possibly have him showing up. What would happen? She was a bandicoot now. He might not even believe she was still the short redhead he grew up with. Besides, what if he did show up? What if he met Crash first? Andrew was the type to shoot first and ask questions later.

"So, tell me more about this Andrew," said a voice. Kate almost screeched. She looked down and saw Crunch standing there with a bemused yet interested stature. Kate breathed a sigh of relief.

"If you want to know so badly, he's my older brother."

"Y'know, Crash has been looking for ten minutes straight for you. That's impressive. He must feel pretty bad about what he did, shorty."

"Well, if you see him, don't tell him where I am, okay?" Kate said. She jumped down from the tree, and sat against its trunk. "He needs more time to think about what he did."

"We all know how that will end," Crunch said, sitting down beside her. Kate was slightly miffed.

"I would think you'd have better things to do than talk to a scrawny female."

"To be honest, you're one of the easiest people in the house I can talk to," he chortled. "I can't talk to Crash for five minutes before he says something to piss me off or he falls asleep. Coco and Aku use too much jargon for me to really care."

"Really?" Kate said with a smile. "Should I thank you?"

"No need." Crunch absently with a few dials and knobs on his mechanical arm. "So, does Crash know you have a brother?"

"Well, I've mentioned him before, but never told him much. …You won't say anything about him, will you? He'd get worked up easily about it. I know how paranoid he gets when he thinks a human might find us somehow."

"You're brother's human?" Crunch echoed, puzzled. Then he rolled his eyes. "Oh. Duh. You were."

"Yeah," Kate said, giving him a playful punch. Crunch ruffled her hair and laughed.

"I'll keep your secret as long as you don't say anything about me moving out."

Kate was knocked for six. "What? You're moving out?"

"Yeah," he replied, scratching an ear. "I think it's time I hit the road. I'm an adult. I can take care of myself, you know."

"Well, yeah… but it'd be weird here without you. Who would Crash argue with?"

The large burgundy bandicoot raised a brow at her. "I think you're still eligible to annoy, according to his standards."

"You're right," she exhaled. "But, I don't think he'll be as much as an obnoxious idiot if you leave. Someone has to at least share some of my pain, right?"

"You still have Coco. Well, of course, she'll 'go on more explorations'. You know, I never realized how much crap you don't tell Crash."

"I know," Kate sighed. "It seems everyone has dirt on me. Someone, please ship me back to high school."

"You know, there's something about you that I still don't understand; why do you do what you do?"

"What?"

Crunch exhaled. "You've been like a sort of mother figure. I mean, it's weird, but you're the one who cleans, does the laundry, and cooks the food. You're only twenty-one years old. You seemed like the kind of chick liked to party her life away."

"Well, I don't know," Kate said. "Back when I was a kid, I lived like there was no tomorrow. Ever since… ever since my mom died… I guess I kinda figured that there might not be. Maybe now, I figured that I could be the thing to you guys that I never really had."

Crunch was silent. "It's nice. If anything, I think I'll miss you the most." Kate felt a warm smile growing on her face. He stood up, and pulled her up as well. She glanced up at the bandicoot that was over a foot taller than she. She hugged him, which made his body go rigid. When she pulled away, she laughed.

"You're big, but you're a big sweetheart too."

"Thanks," he grumbled. They headed off towards the house together, the jungle around them getting louder and more active as night approached.


	4. Kidnapped in Broad Moonlight

**No Business like Show Business**

* * *

"Let's move."

A group of four leapt from the boat. The sun was down, and it was time to get their objective. Nega Bandicoot led three field rats through the dense forest. He was the only one without a large gun to carry, but he had a pistol he always kept just in case.

He'd planned to set out the day before, but due to traveling difficulties, it was made impractical. He was unsure if he could get her alone this time. At night, usually she stayed inside to spend time with that orange fool. He stopped himself from snarling, and moved faster.

"Boss, slow down," one of them croaked through years of smoking.

"Pick your damn feet up!" he snapped in a low reply. He was not in the mood to be messed with. Soon, the darkness of the canopy began to illuminate. They slowed and quieted their movements. Nega's angered face lessened as he pushed through a large fern and saw the small house. The windows cast a glow on the ground.

"So, is this where they live?" asked a large, plump rat. Nega's head turned to him with eyes of contempt.

"Who else would live in the middle of the jungle?" The crimson marsupial muttered. He moved out into the small open space. His followers began doing the same, but he motioned for them to stay. He moved noiselessly to the bright pane, and peeked inside. The living room was empty, with the exception of the television running. Just then, he saw Crash walk through, so he moved to where he couldn't be seen.

Crash sat on the couch, and turned off the TV. He lay across, and presumed nap position. "Peace and quiet," he sighed happily.

"CRASH!"

Nega cringed. Who the hell was that? As he observed silently, Kate strode in, eyes full of rage. Her hair was all frizzy. "Whoa, what happened to you?" Crash asked.

"You! You happened to me! Because of your stupidity, you somehow got water near the electrical outlet my blow dryer was plugged in! It electrocuted me!"

"Oh man, are you okay?"

"Do I LOOK okay?" She stormed out of the house. Nega almost gasped and hid himself in the shadows. Crash soon pursued her.

"Where're you going? It's night!"

"I'm going to the beach for a little while," she replied, not looking back at him. "Alone." As she treaded off, he stood there blankly, watching her leave. He groaned and brought a hand up to his face. Nega could tell he felt like a total jackass, but even he knew that Kate was a tough customer to serve. As he felt a tad uncomfortable, he shifted a bit, but then a twig snapped. He held is breath in angst. Crash's ear had picked it up and twitched. He glanced around for a few seconds, but dismissed it. He sighed and walked back into his home.

Nega exhaled in relief. He gently moved away from the house, and trotted in the path the female had gone. The trio of rats trailed behind. As they approached the beach, he saw Kate standing there in the moonlight. His heart began to thump as a smile grew on his face.

"Hey," said one of them. Nega snapped out of his trance. "We gonna do this or what?"

"Alright, alright, I'm going," he mumbled. He warily stepped onto the sand, and he pulled a cloth out of the pocket of his trench coat. This was no ordinary rag; it was dampened with liquid anesthesia, which Pinstripe had given to him. He didn't know where on Earth it came from or how it came into the potoroo's possession, but it made things easier.

"If you're trying to sneak up on me to make an apology," she said suddenly, which almost gave him a heart attack, "you're going to have to try harder."

How did she know? Wait a minute; she thought that he was Crash… Nega had a small plan, but had to test his theory. He cleared his throat, and got even closer to where he was able to stand right behind her.

"How about instead… I tell you how wonderful you are and how lucky I am to have you," he said. The three rats were taken aback when he had rid of the raspy, gruff pitch to his voice. Kate grinned, and was about to turn. However, that was the key when he took the dark blue fabric and cupped it over her mouth. She was startled and her first reaction was to push away. As she breathed in, her motions grew slow. Nega sniggered in his regular tone. "Sweet dreams, Doll Face."

He caught her, and carried her bridal style. He blinked a few times and grunted. "Dang, I didn't think she'd grow too much in two years' time." All of a sudden, he heard a clink. He looked down and noticed some sort of weird contraption had fallen out of her pocket. He shrugged it off and looked to his men. "Alright, let's hit the road." And like shadows, they disappeared into the darkness of the jungle once more.

* * *

Crash grumbled, folding his arms as he sat on the couch. Coco glanced at him from her laptop. "What's wrong with you?" she asked. He gazed at his younger sister with an irritated expression.

"Kate and I have been in a bit of a spat lately."

"What happened this time?"

"Her blower dryer shorted out and she's blaming me for it," he retorted. "I don't know… Kate and I have been tetchy, alright? Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if she wasn't here anymore."

Coco wrinkled her nose. "You don't need to. Remember when you didn't have a girlfriend? Now I look at you and you're more active than ever."

"Is that such a good thing?" Crash pulled his purple yo-yo out of his pocket and bounced it in the air a few times. "I don't know if she's a curse or a blessing anymore."

Coco's mouth fell ajar. "Is that what you really think of her?"

Crash rolled his eyes. "No. I still love her, it's just she's been getting under my skin more than often. I'm a guy; can you blame me for complaining?"

Coco shrugged. "This is what you wanted right? You wanted a girlfriend?"

"It just happened! You know that as well as I do!" Crash pursed his lip and studied his younger sister's laptop. "And, how's your little relationship going, hm?"

"What?"

"Oh, like I don't know about Darius. Ever since you met him, you two have been talking a little more. I also noticed you're not around the house as much."

"So what?"

"Don't you think Aku would get a little worried about you? Taking advantage of his meditation isn't exactly smiled upon."

"For one thing, I'm almost sixteen, okay? You're just using him as an excuse because you don't want me doing anything with Darius. Besides, I'm more adult than you, and you're in your twenties. That says something."

Crash grinned and stood up, stretching. "I just hope I'll get to be the same guy all my life." He paced over to the door and turned the knob. "It's been a lovely chat with you sis, but it's time I get Kate back in the house."

He didn't hear her response. He nonchalantly whistled a tune as he wandered through the darkness. He never did know why he picked a spot that actually took a little walk before getting to the ocean. Of course, he didn't like the water anyway, so that didn't matter. What did matter is when Kate dragged him out there. Of course, it was fun to spend time with her. She was one of a kind. Not every human would want to date an evolved bandicoot; or for that matter, be one.

He stepped out into the sand, and looked around. Strange; she wasn't here. Crash strode along the shoreline looking around. Finally, he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Kate!" He did so every now and then. Where was she? Sure, on an island like this, there were quite a few places to hide, but did she have a reason to? Crash felt a sick feeling in his stomach. He didn't want her to start hiding from him. What kind of relationship was that?

He prospected and found footprints bordering the sand. He made sure they weren't his own, and followed them. There was something strange about these footprints, however. As he examined them closer, he noticed that there seemed to be more than one person here. But, then again, she could have been pacing. He progressed down the line of unfocused prints, and he came across the jungle grass again.

"What the?" he muttered. He straightened his spine and looked up toward the trees, seeing if she decided to climb one yet again to escape him. Every time a thought like that crossed his mind it increased the nauseating sensation in his gut. "Kate!" he called again, a little louder this time.

Then, a glare caught his eye as he moved. Crash traveled in the direction it came from, and he found something that mystified him. He picked up the device he recognized as the one Coco had given him before ever meeting Kate. What was it doing way out here? As he carelessly pressed a few buttons, the green pixel screen suddenly read "1 MISSED CALL." It took him a minute understand, but his ears folded back in dismay.

Who would be calling this thing?

His mind ran at high-speed and he felt his nerves getting edgy. "Kate, where are you?" he shouted. "Kate!" But, there was no answer other than the sounds of life in the forest surrounding him.

* * *

Andrew rounded up a few of his select belongings, and placed them into a pack which he threw over his shoulder. He put on a pair of dark brown shades and shoved a small handgun in his back pocket. Gary Satterfield gave him a bottle of water.

"You're going to need that," spoke the older male. Andrew nodded and accepted it.

"Don't worry, man, It's not like I'm gonna die out there. I'm equipped with two pistols, plenty of ammo, food, and water. I've got enough supplies, and I'm sure I can get some there in the jungle."

"Clothes?"

Andrew groaned at Gary's persistence. "I've got as much as necessary. I have to travel light." He pushed through the glass door, and began his hike towards the active helicopter. His uncle decided to walk him there, of course. Ever since Kate disappeared, he hasn't been the same.

No one's been the same.

Andrew could remember when she was still sixteen, six years ago. Kate found her first boyfriend, Ryan. Ryan was a jerk, they both later found out. He was cheating on Kate and had the most horrible attitude about it. At first, Andrew didn't like the guy, and after learning about his misdemeanor he wanted to tear him in half. After all, he had a good height advantage; he towered about six feet.

He didn't care for the guys she dated. They weren't very nice, to him or to her. Although, after she lost an interest in men and focused on her job and school work, Andrew was relieved. So, having her run away with one and to never be seen since was so alien he didn't know how to handle it very well. Luckily, his profession was gadgets. He knew all there was about tracking people and such.

"So, how has your little science classes been?" Gary spoke suddenly when they were about halfway to the chopper. Andrew moaned.

"I told you already, I graduated. And I haven't had time to really be a scientist because I've been searching for two years. Don't ask about it."

"Oh. Well, I was just wondering, boy. You shouldn't be so hostile, though."

Andrew ignored his last statement, and felt the blades gushing wind at him. His hair whipped to and fro, which frustrated him, so he held it back and boarded the plane. "Gary, while I'm gone, I need you to take care of Bernie. He's Kate's golden retriever."

"Alright," he shouted back. As Andrew was about to sit down, Gary grabbed the young man's shirt and pulled him closer, and said in a low voice. "You listen to me. I gave Kate and Jack a ride to Berlin, and I went into the storage unit to get a bottle of water. When I saw him, he had the face of an animal. So if he really looks like that… I want you to tell me, okay?"

Andrew gulped. His uncle was loosing it. However, there were more important matters at hand. "Will do, man." Then, another hand clamped onto the back of his shirt and pulled him into the co-pilot seat. He looked at his aging pilot, who appeared to be aggravated. "Hey, this is a good shirt. I'd appreciate it if—"

"Shut it, kid. I didn't spend thirty-five years in the Air Force for a punk to be telling me what to do. Now, tell me where the hell it is we're going so I can play poker tonight," he barked after giving Andrew a pair of large headphones and a mic. Although intimidated, the latter only shrugged.

"I guess you better floor it, because I'm going to Australia." With that, he placed a small GPS on the window, and explained the course he planned to take. The pilot rolled his eyes and grumbled words of loathing. They were off within minutes, and then Andrew situated himself to a more comfortable position, and furrowed his brow.

What did Gary mean by the face of an animal? Andrew rested his head on a rounded fist, and contemplated the answer. Maybe just that, he figured. But then again, the old fart was in his fifties and flew planes quite often. Perhaps the Arizona heat was getting to him, either that or the constant altitude. But, it was rather peculiar. It was a family rumor that one of their ancestors had the same sort of encounter in the old western times.

Was it possible… that there were creatures out there that looked like animals, but walked and talked just like people? The thought made Andrew shudder. If there were, what did they want with Kate?


	5. When Life Give you Lemons

**No Business like Show Business**

* * *

Kate moaned. What happened? Did she pass out? Her head felt horrible, and her throat was dry. She struggled to open her eyelids, but failed in doing so for they were extremely heavy. She took a large breath in, and regretted it. Wherever she was, there was smoke involved.

"Well look who decided to wake up," chortled a voice. Kate thought it was Crash at first, but there were two things wrong with her theory: First of all, Crash didn't smoke, and secondly, he didn't have a gruff pitch to it either. As she strived to figured out why that accent was so familiar, she instantly remembered something before she blacked out.

"_Sweet dreams, Doll Face…"_

Kate forced her eyes open immediately, and her fears were confirmed. In front of her stood the crimson-furred Nega Bandicoot, a dwindling cigarette crushed between his canines. He brushed a sharp claw softly down her cheek. "You were out all night," he sneered.

She instantly tried to swat him away, but to her misfortune they bound her hands behind her wooden chair. Kate muttered a curse, and glared at Nega. "What's your problem, man? What the hell does Cortex want from me this time?"

"That yellow bastard's not included," he said. He took another drag, tossed it on the floor, and crushed it with his boot. "Not this time."

Kate narrowed her gaze. "Oh _really_? Then who _are_ you working for?"

Nega simply smiled. "It's who I'm working with, and as of right now, that doesn't concern you. What does concern you is what you're here for."

"Do you just have an obsession of kidnapping me or something?" Kate retorted. He laughed, and situated the collar of his trench coat.

"Not quite, my dear. You see, a few months ago, our dear old Cortex pinned the whole time-traveling incident on me. I got kicked out of his little group of cronies." Nega noticed the smirk on Kate's face, yet resumed. "So, I came to this smelly place called Wumpa City. Turns out, I made a few friends and they let me have a momentary place to stay. When I walked into a bar, I met a lovely potoroo who made a deal with me so I could have a permanent area to crash."

Kate pursed her lips. Everything that occurred to him after the strange fiasco with Cortex was practically her fault. But, that didn't bother her too much because the fact that she wouldn't exist was fairly nerve-racking. Her nails began sawing at the ropes, and she swallowed. "So what was the deal?"

Nega got down on one knee as to get closer. "You. Seeing as how my partner's bar needs a gorgeous dancer and how I need someone of my own, we agreed to cart your ass over here and make you work for us."

Kate's mouth dropped with a scowl. Suddenly, the binds snapped, and she clouted him in the jaw. He jerked back upon impact, but then she heard a click, followed by several more. She looked to her side and saw the barrel of a black revolver pointed to her face. She traced the hand holding it, and saw it was a rat-like Anthrian, black hair slicked back and clothed in a scarlet suit.

"Sit. Now," he hissed. Kate did as told, and uneasily noticed that more and more rodents with guns began to creep out of the darkness. She felt a lump in her throat form when she saw she was surrounded. Nega wiped the blood from his lip and snickered.

"Meet my new acquaintance, Pinstripe Potoroo. He's one of your little boyfriend's old enemies, and also the leader of his own mafia. He's my cohort."

Her brow fell as she observed the bar owner, and then Nega. "I am not becoming a dancer."

"Wanna bet?" Pinstripe said, placing the barrel of his Magnum to her chest. "You'll damn well do as we say, or—"

"We're not going to kill her," Nega cut him off with a snarl. Pinstripe glared back, and then at her.

"Fine. But let me tell you, Clark." He grabbed his cheeks and yanked her face closer to his. "I swear, if you give me any sort of trouble, I'm going to make sure your stay will be extremely unpleasant. I have the power to make your life a living hell. If you even think about escaping, I'll have one of my men set you straight."

Kate pushed him away despite her being at gunpoint. "Listen here, asswipe. I don't give a crap about who you are or who your friends are. I'm not becoming a stripper for your bar."

"Oh?" Pinstripe said. He crossed his arms thoughtfully. "I get it. You think Crash is going to come and save you? Now why would he do that… if he thinks you're dead?"

She froze, and tightened the grip on her knees. "He… he thinks I'm dead?"

At this time, Nega was standing triumphantly. "I didn't leave a clue, and he can't follow us. I think it's a work of art. Then again, you'd know art, wouldn't you?"

Kate couldn't believe it. If Crash did think she had indeed kicked the bucket, he wouldn't look for her. And if she couldn't escape without the risk of actually getting killed, then she was stuck. "No," she muttered. "There… there has to be something—"

"There's nothing you can do," Pinstripe sighed. He put a hand over his heart dramatically. "Oh the poor girl. There's nothing she can do! Nega, what could possibly help her out of this problem?"

Nega moaned theatrically as well. "I don't know! She's done for, Pinstripe! It's the end of the line of all things sugar, spice, and everything nice!" The others joined their taunts and groans.

"Woe is she!"

"She only wanted a normal life!"

"Her lover thinks she's lost forever!"

"Life is terrible!"

Kate felt her eye twitch as she looked down. She could deal with being mocked. She had gotten used to it when she was a kid for liking all of the horror novels in her school library. When high school came, she forced herself to change so that people would cease the jeers. But, even now, it was starting to put her down. Just then, she saw a shadow lean over her.

"How about I take you to your room?" said Nega in a low voice. Her eyes merely glanced up at him as he held out a hand. She didn't accept it, although she did stand and follow him. He guided her out of the room of laughing rats, and pulled out his handgun. When she looked at him, he shrugged and placed an arm on her shoulder. "It's simply for assurance. Let me show you the place a bit."

Kate didn't argue. She was still contemplating of different getaway plans, but as they progressed, she had to eliminate many of them. There was a long, red hallway with several doors. "All of these are bedrooms," Nega explained. "You get the one at the end, Pinstripe's is the master bedroom nearby, and mine's at the back towards that large window—which, might I add, is only opened with a key you will never find. These other bedrooms are usually rentals to the customers or the other dancers that work here. You'll meet them soon enough."

She didn't care too much for this place. It was all decorated in black or red, it wasn't very neat, and it reeked of alcohol. As they stepped into the archway leading into the bar, Nega had explained the theme was based on a deck of cards, pointing to the gambling tables. "Besides," he snorted. "Even I know you like alcohol. I can see it in your face. This place could be an absolute heaven for you."

"It's not going to be a heaven for me," Kate retorted. She eyed his gun, which had become in reach whilst he was talking. "You think I'll enjoy exposing myself in public?"

He leaned closer with a foolish grin. "I know I will." She instantly shot her hand out to snag his weapon, but he seized her wrist. "Ah-ah-ah…" he shook his finger, "let's not upset the only one who will be nice to you."

Her stare was daggers, but that didn't deter him. She wrenched away, even though he still held her with his arm. She saw a yellow-furred female dingo walk out of a bedroom. The latter turned to them. "Hey, Regan, did my customer leave—who's that?" she asked upon seeing Kate.

The bandicootess had to keep from gagging. The dingo was a curly-haired blonde who wore hoards of makeup all over her face. It was obviously to distract people from other features like a small wart on her chin and some wrinkles. "My _name_ is Nega, you tramp. This is Kate Clark. She'll be filling in the empty slot from now on. Kate, this is Heidi."

Kate swallowed. She honestly didn't want to associate with this woman. By the look on her face, neither did Heidi. She chewed her gum nonchalantly. "She's the new girl? You better doll her up, boy, if you want her to get enough customers of her own."

"She's just a dancer," Nega sighed. He pulled out a set of keys, and unlocked the door in front of him.

"Whatever. I don't even see why you like her, anyway. She's a redheaded whore. We all know how those stories end."

"Don't you have a son to take care of?"

"He's sixteen. He can take care of himself, but I should leave anyway. I'll be back at seven."

Kate grinded her teeth in agitation. Just when she thought things couldn't get worse. Nega turned to her with an apologetic air. "I know, I know. You think the Spades is a hellhole. I get it. But it's only what you make it out to be. It's actually not that bad once you get used to it." He began to leave, but then paused. "Oh, and as for clothes, there are a few sets you should wear."

"Whatever," she said. She plopped onto the red-blanketed bed, and stared up at the ceiling. He hesitantly closed the door, and was gone. Kate waited a few minutes, and stood up. Her room was just as sanitary as the rest of the tavern. She trudged over to the window, and gazed outside. It was still dark, and the lights of the city were like stars in the sky. The bedroom was two stories high, which meant she couldn't break out through there. What's more, it was nailed down. That option was stamped out completely.

She sorted through the closet and found shoes, a white shirt, and a pair of jeans that would fit her. But, the rest of them were very revealing dresses and outfits. "These are so slutty," she grimaced. "Do they expect me to wear these all the time?"

Kate drifted toward the small, almost-broken vanity. It was nothing like her own, and the mirror was rather small. She did notice that there was a bathroom door connected to the room. She rapidly went inside to prospect for and escape route. However, it was just as small as a motel bathroom, and only had a shower, bathtub, and toilet. It was half the size as the one at home. Dejectedly, she plodded out into the bedroom once again. Kate sat on the floor next to the bed, and sighed. He looked at the wall and saw several posters of small animals like puppies or kittens.

It bothered her. They expected her to be a frail little woman to love all the little things people thought girls did. They expected her to obey every whim without question. They expected her to show herself to a crowd of drunken, disgusting men. They expected her to stay put and to never try to flee.

As she grabbed a tablet and a pencil from the nightstand drawer, Kate began to sketch away her boredom and worries. She was going to leave. She would do everything she could to try to get away from this bar.

* * *

He threw the device on the table, and sat down. "This was all I found." Coco and Crunch, who were also assembled, glimpsed at it, then Crash. "I searched everywhere."

Coco raised a brow. "Everywhere?"

"Coco, she's been gone for almost two hours. By now, she would've cooled off and would've come home. Something's wrong."

Crunch nodded, and picked up the gadget. "What is this?"

"It's a cell phone and walkie-talkie mix," Coco briefed. She looked back to her brother. "Did you ever thing she fell asleep in a tree? She's done it a few times."

"But after at least ten minutes, she'd fall out and wake up," Crash explained. He folded his arms back on the table. "I don't think she's on the island any more."

"What?"

"He may have a point," Crunch said. He showed her the hybrid phone. "It says there was a missed call, and that there was a call made." Coco was about to shrug, when she suddenly realized what they were implying.

"You think Kate called someone to pick her up?"

"I pissed her off pretty bad… What if she doesn't come back?"

"Crash, don't be hysterical," Coco said. "She loves you, and I've seen you do worse than that. I don't think an accident with the blow dryer is going to push her over the edge and cause her to leave."

"It's not just that. I've been screwing up a lot lately."

"You screw up all the time," Crunch scoffed. "I'm surprised she didn't leave you earlier. But, I do doubt that's the case. I know Kate fairly well; she has put up with you for a couple years now. I think she's gotten used to it."

Crash rested his head on the table and frowned. "I really suck, don't I?"

Coco and Crunch both gawked at him in astonishment. This was a dramatic change in the Crash they've come to know. Usually, he would be peppy and stick to his old ways in any type of scenario. But, this was one thing they didn't expect to see from him, and that was guilt. Coco patted her brother on the back.

"C'mon, don't get so down."

"If I hadn't messed up this time, she'd still be here."

"But, we don't know she left," Crunch suggested. Crash winced.

"No, and that terrifies me. I don't know what happened to her. What if she's out there in the jungle still? What if she's… dead?"

"Oh come on," Coco chuckled. "Kate knows these trees. There's no way she'd get lost as well as you would."

"Let's think about the options though. What if she ran into some man-eating plant? What if she decided to go for a swim?"

"At this hour?" Crunch muttered. Crash furrowed his brow and frowned.

"She's unpredictable."

Coco brushed her blonde hair away. "Alright, guys. Why don't we just wait until morning? By then, she's bound to be home, and if not, we could go searching. It's dark out, we're all tired, and we have no real conclusion."

"I agree," Crunch nodded. Crash looked down, and pursed his lips. He walked out of his seat, and lumbered away to his bedroom. He seated himself on his bed, and kicked off his shoes. He folded his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. The moonlight shone brightly through his window pane, and was illuminating his room.

For the first time, Crash found it was uneasy to sleep. What happened to Kate?


	6. Make Friends, Not Lemonade

**No Business like Show Business**

* * *

"Andy, that's gross."

"Ah, come on. You never thought _anything_ was gross."

"But whip cream on pizza? That's disgusting."

"Suit yourself."

He took a bite, and almost gagged. He hated putting together daring concoctions that would've otherwise made him vomit. But, during times like these, the siblings knew that they would try anything to prove who had the stronger stomach. Andrew swallowed, and wiped stray cream off his lips. "Alright, you're turn."

Kate reluctantly accepted another slice of pepperoni pizza with the same new topping, and ate a piece of it. She quickly spit it out, and wrinkled her nose. "Darn." Andrew beamed with joy. Beating his sister was what every thirteen-year-old dreamed of. All of a sudden, she pushed a plate of brownies toward him. "Alright. These aren't normal brownies. They are chucked full of toothpaste, hot sauce, salt, and beans. If you can eat a whole one, you win. If you can't, you have to… hm…"

"Brush your hair forever? Pssh, I don't think so, shorty," he retorted. Kate narrowed her eyes at him, and suddenly smiled.

"No, but that gives me an idea. If you lose, you have to grow your hair out to your shoulders."

"What? I'll look like a girl!"

"And you can't cut it for three years!"

"Fine! But if you choke, you have to make me lunch for the rest of the month, clean my room, and walk the dog.

"

"What, to come across that dirty pair of underwear you worship? Nuh-uh."

"If you don't agree, then I don't have to."

"…whatever."

The two Clarks eyed the brownie Supremes cautiously. Andrew shuddered at the thought of eating an entire brownie. Beans? Hot sauce? _Toothpaste? _What was Kate trying to prove? That she could make a burrito cake while providing dental hygiene? Even so, he had to suffer through it. It was his hair on the line. He tenderly grasped the food item, and held it up to his mouth. Kate's eyes followed it with interest.

"Well, I don't have all day, loser. This is the year 2000, would you hurry it up?"

He glared at her quickly, and averted his eyes back to the brownie. Without wasting another second, he chomped down on it. The first thing that hit his was the salt, then the hot sauce. He wanted to stop and spit it out, but he didn't. Then, he tastes the toothpaste, and—so he would endure it no longer—ate it whole. Kate nodded her head, impressed.

He grimaced, and pointed to the dish wordlessly. She bit her lip, and did the same as he did, succeeding in devouring it in one piece. They both stared at each other, mouths curled into a mischievous smirk. Instantly, Andrew's stomach began to gurgle. His face filled with dread, and he looked down to his abdomen. Kate's belly appeared to be experiencing the same problem.

Suddenly, he felt a slug on his arm. He snapped awake instantly. He blinked a few times, and glanced to the left. "What?" He cringed as she held his stomach groggily. "Oh… God… I don't feel too good."

"We're here," the pilot groused. "And if you throw up, I'll tear you a new one." Andrew posited his shades to the top of his head, and peered out the window. They weren't too far from the docks of Sydney, where he planned on renting a fishing boat to get to where he needed to go. When his mind drifted back to the memory, he recalled actually heaving earlier that evening many years ago; hence, he had to grow out his hair. However, he decided that he did look more eye-catching as soon as he began growing facial hair.

The helicopter landed in a small space of land. The pilot informed Andrew that he was going to fill up his gas tank, and gave the younger man a firm handshake. "This is the part where we'll never see each other again, kid. I hope you find your sister and that creepy boyfriend of hers. When I lost my brother in the Vietnam War, I hadn't been the same." He saluted Andrew, and climbed back into his chopper to grab the several gas tanks. "Good luck."

"Ditto."

Andrew sighed, and slung his pack over his shoulder. It was just beginning to dusk. It took an hour to find the boat rental building, and another to actually rent the boat he needed. By the time he actually mounted the fishing vessel, night had already fallen, which he figured wouldn't be a problem. He could drive just about anything with a steering wheel at any time of day. During the span of his life, he'd grown heavily interested in mechanics and engineering, and then took college courses teaching him about different chemicals.

However, he only put these knowledge skills to use only when he absolutely needed them. Otherwise, he made himself to be a douchebag the rest of the time. Andrew brushed his hair out of his face and studied the GPS he had taken with him. Soon enough, he would be there. He could take Kate home.

* * *

Crash tossed and turned in his bed restlessly. He couldn't sleep. For the first time, Crash could not fall into any type of slumber. There weren't any sleeping pills in the house as of yet, so he was out of luck in that department. So, he simply stared up at the ceiling.

He couldn't fathom why she wasn't there. Any reason he came up with was heart-breaking, so he quickly abolished the thought. But, he had to know. He had already gone two days with little rest and he was exhausted. The group had already combed through most of their island, and didn't find a trace of Kate.

Crash thought about several of the purposes he had already contemplated. What if she had actually decided to leave him? That thought alone could almost strangle his heart with guilt. What it she was dead? If so, there was no body to recover. There was no way to ask Aku-Aku to help; he didn't even know where the witchdoctor mask was meditating. Crash had gone through a period like that five years before, and honestly it hadn't been a big deal. But, even now, he greatly desired help with finding Kate.

He sighed, and kicked his feet over the edge of the bed. He decided he was going to investigate more for himself.

Crash slipped on his trademark shoes and leather gloves, and straightened his mohawk. He inaudibly pushed out of his bedroom, and shuffled out into the hallway. He made sure no one saw him leave the house into the chirps and cries of the nighttime air. The moon shone brightly, which helped him not to trip clumsily over a root—even though, he would succeed in that during daylight hours.

He silently walked over to the shoreline. Kate loved the beach. Every time they'd spend time out there, she always enjoyed herself even if he made himself out to be an arse. She explained that it was because of the fact that she'd never get to go when she was younger. Crash had the ocean around his entire life, so honestly he didn't see anything so special about it. The only thing that he liked was the way it made her smile.

Suddenly, something caught his eye. He looked out to the small dock he and Crunch had built a few summers ago, and saw a large white fishing boat floating right next to it. His mind instantly began jumping to conclusions as he found himself almost jogging toward it. Crash found it hard to be calm when his adrenaline was pumping faster than greased lightning, but he had to be cautious in case someone was still aboard. As he peeked through the small cabin window, he found there was a silhouette perched in front of a silver laptop.

It was a human.

Crash's heart thumped madly. He thought it would burst at this rate. What the hell? What was a human doing here? He took his lip between his teeth as he formed several theories. One, this guy was just an explorer. It was possible. It was a good thing he didn't carry any sort of camera equipment with him. Two, he was just escaping from the life of Australia. Crash assumed that Sydney was a heavily populated area and every now and then the average person would need to get away.

But, the one thing that put red flags as far as the eye could see was the fact that his timing to visit was more than just a coincidence. Crash thought that this guy had to have something to do with Kate disappearance. He grinded his molars in anger and thought of confronting the man. But, what if he was just another Joe just wanting some alone time?

Crash didn't know what to do. He gasped when the human shut his laptop and walked out of the cabin. The bandicoot had himself pinned up against the white body of the boat in a panic. Great, just awesome. He gets to play hide-and-seek with some guy who looks like he's missing his surf board. Then, Crash's ears twitched at the sound of a high-pitched ringing. The human answered a light blue cell phone and sighed.

"Hello?"

Crash's prior thoughts to this man's origin died right there. There was no way he was from around here because he was an American. That fact led him to another: so was Kate. But, exposing himself would have some dire consequences. He wanted to so badly, but the human was quite larger than him, and had a pistol in his pocket. Things were just not going Crash's way.

As he listening to the conversation between the man and his caller, Crash saw a pelican land on the pier he was presently stuck. It stared at him curiously, and waddled in his direction. He waved his hand at it in an attempt to ward it off. It cocked its head to the side and squawked loudly. Crash sucked air between his teeth and his claws bore into the boat as the man peered over the side of the boat to look into the noise. He shrugged and turned his attention back to the phone.

"Nah, Jason. It was just some bird… No, a pelican or something… I don't have a clue why it's out this time of night either."

Crash sighed in relief. He examined his hand and noticed he'd accomplished in peeling some of the paint off. Then, he felt a hard whack on his shoe. He saw the pelican putting an effort into untying it. He pushed it away while growling as quietly as he could. It simply made a loud shriek and raised its wings threateningly. It began to throttle Crash, who was trying his best not to yelp while fighting back.

The pelican flew away abruptly; leaving a very unsettled bandicoot slumped against the craft. He held a new gash on his arm and looked up at the young man, finished with conversing over the cell. He chuckled. "I _gotta_ see what pissed it off."

Well this would be a pleasant situation, Crash thought, if _he_ wasn't what had pissed it off. As the human climbed out of the boat to prospect, Crash did the only thing he could think of, and hopped abroad. He darted inside the cabin, and watched outside the window as the guy looked around the deck. When he found nothing, he muttered an "Oh well," and began to get on the boat again. Crash bit his lip as his cursed knowing he didn't make the smartest decision. He moved back in the tiny cabin, and felt his sneaker crush something on the floor. He looked down and saw it was the silver laptop. He picked it up with a pitiful expression and whimpered.

"Shit."

He quickly climbed back out the window (which, if his ribcage was just an inch thicker, would not allow passage through) and tumbled back onto the dock. Just seconds later, he heard a voice inside. "What the hell? My laptop! …Is this a shoe?" Crash was about to zip back to his house, but by now, the man knew someone else was there. He'd scrambled onto the deck, gun in hand and with a look to kill. Crash knew now that he was in big trouble. What he hadn't known was that he was drifting backwards. His heel had no surfacing, and he flew backwards into the water with a shout of surprise.

Crash clambered to the surface, and clung to the propellers of the vessel, gasping in shock. The saltwater stung the cut on his arm. He saw the human run out to the edge of the dock, searching for him. However, Crash was hidden in the shadow of the boat. "Alright," the guy shouted aimlessly, still hunting for the bandicoot's location. "Where are you?"

Crash had no desire to answer. He used the edges of the boat to slowly guide him back to the beach. Then, something snapped at his ear. He whipped around and saw the same pelican that assaulted him earlier floating on the water. He couldn't contain his agitation as he flailed his limbs around. "Beat it!"

The bird did leave this time, but, his outburst cost him. The man had jumped back over the boat and saw Crash in the water. "HEY!" he shouted. Crash winced and ducked back underwater, dodging several bullets and moving underneath the dock. Cursing, the human scrambled to it as well, but wasn't aware that anyone was beneath him. "I have your shoe! I know you're there, so if you come on out, I won't shoot you."

Crash couldn't keep quiet any more. He was tired of it and just had to make a surly reply. "Oh, well, if I had a gun in my hand and told someone I wasn't going to turn them into Swiss cheese, I pretty sure I'd be lying."

The man looked down, and pointed his pistol in that direction. "Well, I could shoot you now if that makes you feel any better."

"No, no I don't think it will. How about this: you give me back my sneaker, I'll apologize for breaking your doohickey, and we can chat a little." Crash didn't expect the human to agree at all, but suddenly, he shoe splashed into the water. He grabbed it, and smirked. "Sweet. Sorry about the computer."

"Now can you come out?" the man questioned. Crash shrugged.

"Will you put down the gun?"

"Maybe."

"Nah… toss the gun, too, mate."

"Why?"

"Trust me."

"Trust you? What the—how can I trust you if I haven't even seen your face and knowing the fact that you killed my laptop?"

"Because I'm charming and you find this whole charade very cute."

"That may work on a female, but let me tell you Aussie; I'm not really in the mood right now."

"What, and you think I am? I'll come out only if you lose the gun. Final offer."

"Whatever," the man sighed. Crash heard a clink, knowing that he'd tossed the weapon onto the boat deck. "Show yourself."

Crash agreed that this was fair, but he wasn't prepared for the reaction to come. So, he simply peered up, and saw that the guy was looking away. Crash leapt out of the water with a battle cry, and tackled him onto the planks. The latter swore upon impact, but was able to wrestle Crash off quite easily. Out of nowhere he pulled out another gun, smaller this time, and pointed it straight in between his invader's eyes.

His raged expression fell into on of complete and utter surprise and astonishment. His pupils visibly shrunk and Crash bit his lip in apprehension as the man gasped. "What… what are you?" he asked shakily.

Crash put his palms out in assurance. "Okay, don't… don't freak out or anything… at least don't faint. If you pass out and fall backwards into the water, I don't feel like giving you CPR, pal. I'm an evolved bandicoot."

The man was staggered by seeing Crash talk. "You… a bandicoot? Isn't that… like, a type of marsupial?"

Crash chuckled edgily. "Yeah, you're actually one of the first people I've met that know that." As a moment of silence passed, the air he carried turned hostile, and the human swiftly kicked him backwards, which cause him to land hard on his rear. He aimed the snub-nosed revolver at him and cocked it.

"Where is she?"

Crash coughed and offered a dry glance. "What?"

"Where's Kate, you son of a bitch?"

Crash's eyes widened as his previous question had been answered. "Why don't you tell _me_ where she is, huh?"

"Like you don't already know. What did you do to her?"

"What did I do to her? Well excuse me, but she's been gone for two days, buddy."

"Try two damn years," the human hissed. "She's been missing for two years. Gary told me about the plane crash you two were in back then. Mind telling me about it, man?"

Crash blinked. "You know Gary, huh? So I take it her uncle survived… What do you want with her?"

"I want to take her home, and if I have to kill you to do so, I will."

"There's no need to kill me. Honestly." He suddenly smacked the firearm from the guy's hand and saw it fly into the ocean with a _kerplunk_. "I don't really like guns, 'man'. So, shall we give introductions?"

"I don't give a crap about introductions. I want my sister."

Crash's throat clogged as he registered what had just been said. His mouth fell agape. "You… you're her brother?"

"Older brother," he replied. "Andrew Clark." He glowered at Crash. "Do you know where she is or not?"

"…no," Crash said dismally. Andrew wasn't any more pleased with this answer, but had decided he wasn't getting anywhere being so aggressive. He gave a long loud sigh and ran a hand through his hair.

"Alright. So, fuzzy… what should I call you? Jack?"

Crash couldn't hide a small grin. "Nah, that's just what I used when I was in America. The name's Crash Bandicoot."

"Crash Bandicoot? … I hope you do realize your name is a verb and your species put together."

"Is that a problem?" he countered. "Sorry my creator didn't think of a better name. What kind of name is Andrew?"

"A normal one. Yours sounds like something off a video game or something. No offense."

"Bah, none taken. Kate said the same thing once."

"I thought you said you didn't know where she is."

"Well, that's just it. See, a couple days ago, she suddenly disappeared. We've been searching everywhere for her, but can't find her."

"'We?'" Andrew repeated. Crash nodded, and folded his arms.

"You know what, you look like you've had a rough night. I have a house not far off from here; I can tell you everything you need to know and hopefully, your questions can be answered. At least someone's will." He began to walk off. "But… you may not like what you'll hear."

Andrew simply rolled his eyes as he paced behind Crash. "Okay. And what are you, her boyfriend or something?" he said with a laugh. Crash smirked.

"You could say that."

* * *

And so, Andrew and Crash finally meet! It must be a Clark thing that keeps them from totally wigging out upon seeing an Anthrian. Speaking of, can the two boys put their heads together to find the one they both love? More importantly, what will Andrew think when he learns his little sister _became_ a bandicoot?

Oh, and before I go, I really liked writing this! Thank you my reviewers, sorry my time is getting spaced out, but I'll try to post more often. Have a great day duckies—and I appreciate those of you who told me what you think about my little criminal, Nega! ;)


	7. Double Negatives

**No Business like Show Business**

* * *

The night was dark. There was no moon; there were only the streetlights that could guide a soul where they needed to go. However, a certain Nega needed no light whilst he lurked among the shadows of the alleys. He was very swift and agile in avoiding any sort of detection. Hunting was in his blood. This hunt would be fairly easy.

He took to the side of a dumpster to secrete himself from being seen by a youthful couple, the male carting home his drunken mate. Nega gripped his .44 Magnum and resumed his glide in the darkness.

During times like this, his mind couldn't think properly. What he only thought was the rewards he would reap afterwards. During times like this, he was sharp and focused. During times like this, he was a completely different person. Nega hated times like this.

He stepped in front of a door that was bathed in the light of a lamppost. He made sure no one was observing him, and slipped a black claw into the door's lock, and heard the audible click. He slowly pushed inside, peering around in the shade for signs of life. Nega slipped in the interior with no difficulty, thankful for his semi-slender build. His eyes could see through the dark, which was a mysterious trait he'd inherited long ago when he was first mutated by Cortex.

He moved without a sound from hallway to hallway, finally reaching a bedroom. He shouldered his way in, and saw a rotund figure latent in their bed. He moved to the nightstand, and narrowed his gaze coldly. "I don't even know how you can sleep, you worthless piece of shit."

The aged eagle jerked awake instantly, and stared up into the bright golden eyes Nega possessed. He was very tired and groggy, but was still shaken. "Who are you?" he asked in a gravelly voice.

Nega pointed his pistol to the large bird's face and twisted his mouth into a snarl. "Hello, Charlie. Remember me? The little bandicoot you left to die in the desert?"

"What?" the eagle inquired. "What are you talking about?"

"Think about it. Hard." Nega's finger began to slowly pull back on the trigger. Charlie panicked.

"Alright!" He squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to remember something. Anything. "U-uh… Hrm… I-I don't—"

"Of course not," Nega interrupted. He ogled his enemy pitilessly. "None of you remember. Thirteen years ago to this day, you tried to kill me."

"Thirteen years ago? What the hell? How do you remember that? That was before any of us were evolved!"

"Oh, but unfortunately for you and the others who have wronged me, I have a severely good memory. Care to take a guess about what you did?"

"We were all stupid animals then, man. Give me a break! Survival of the fittest!"

"Stupid animals?" Nega shoved the butt of the Magnum to Charlie's forehead. "Are you telling me you've gotten so washed up with these human qualities that you couldn't remember my terrified face? I can recall yours. You were enjoying torturing me, taking advantage of how I had no one else left to protect me. I was a kid for God's sakes."

Charlie's eyes dimmed and he could suddenly memorize the events of the day many years ago. "Th-that's right… I can remember… but… that was so long ago… and you're still mad about it?"

Nega's mouth twitched with resentment. "You killed my family. You almost killed me." He inhaled deeply. "You're one of the reasons I became a monster. Goodbye, Charleston."

He pulled back on the trigger.

* * *

Kate had no desire to walk into the filthy female bathroom the bar had. Earlier that same evening, they'd told her it had had once been a unisex room; due to some of the actions that occurred inside, they had to add another one. She was actually thankful, but wished they had chosen the new one to be the women's room.

She stumbled stepping in. For one, the floor was several inches lower than the entire building's level. Secondly, she was in a pair of sleek black heels. Kate mumbled a profanity and continued her walk to the large mirror. There were multiple lipstick stains all over the sides in a variety of shades and hues. As she studied some of the squiggly scriptures written in eyeliner, she actually snickered at the few "I HATE MY LIVES", "JOHNNY'S A BASTARD", and the occasional "HAHA! I GOT THE BIGGEST TITS".

Suddenly, one of the three pale brown stalls opened. Out walked a familiar dingo female with a burning cigarette roosting between her bright pink lips. Heidi situated the thin straps to her bra and began preening herself. Kate felt rather awkward and looked down to the sink and made haste washing her hands to look as if she had a purpose there.

Then, Heidi smashed her light into the marble sink counter, and tossed the butt onto the floor. "You know, Kitty, I think you should pick up the habit. You already drink a little excessively. Why not smoke?"

Kate didn't know what to say to this older woman whose mind-set was just as ghastly as her flashy appearance. "My name's Kate. Plus, I want to keep my lungs healthy."

"Well," Heidi sniggered, "no use in that if ya liver goes to shit." She paused to collapse into a short coughing fit. "Bah. No wonder I can't sing anymore though." She smoothened out her blue rhinestone blouse and began to leave the restroom. She paused, and looked back at Kate. "Oh, and just because you're cute and all, it doesn't mean that you can take over my role. Your boobs are too small, your eyes are too dull—frankly, you're not very pretty."

Kate's mouth fell ajar in astonishment. She couldn't form a snappy retort for Heidi had already left. She was the only one left in the restroom. She looked back at her reflection, and sighed. The cruel woman had a point. She didn't belong in this place. She was surprised at how much she's had to go through to pass as "stage appropriate."

She took the elastic band from her hair and watched her hair tumble over her shoulders. "What am I doing here?" Kate murmured. She left the room, not feeling up to par. She walked through the red carpeted hall to enter her room again, but was stopped by a hand gripping her shoulder. She turned, and wasn't expecting it to be Pinstripe.

"You're on in ten minutes," he briefed. Her blatant mood swiftly changed to one of alarm.

"What?"

"I said ten minutes," he repeated intensely. "I expect you to remember what you're supposed to do." Kate was tripping over her own words trying to explain her nervousness, but, he left her presence. She was standing there, trying to figure out what to do next.

"Hello?"

Kate whipped around at the voice, still frantic. Then, she saw a girl who was standing behind her with a puzzled air. "What?" the former asked. She was surprised that this field mouse managed to be smaller than she was.

"My name's Mattie," she said with a little smile. "You're Kate Clark, right?"

"Yes… how come I've never seen you here before?" Kate asked. "I thought I met everyone."

"Well, I was sick for a couple days," she explained. "I've heard about you, though. Heidi told me about you."

"Heidi?" The redhead crinkled her nose disgustedly. "You're not friends with her, are you?"

"No, no. She said I was too… meek, and… gross." Mattie's head drifted down in gloom, but then perked back up again. "I think I can help you with your routine if you want."

Kate blinked. That was the first time she'd come across the word "help" ever since she'd gotten there. She swallowed and felt her cheeks getting hotter with embarrassment. "You don't have to, but I would appreciate it."

Mattie began explaining certain moves that would please whoever was watching. Kate wasn't very interested in the demeaning motions, but she had to learn. Time went by as they practiced. Before she knew it, Kate was being called to the stage by Pinstripe. Mattie wished her luck, and she stepped out onto the catwalk platform.

The first thing that Kate noticed was the neon pink lights pointed in her direction. The crowd in front of her consisted of a variety of species, but the numbers weren't that high. Pinstripe was sitting in a large chair in the darkest corner of the area, beady red and yellow eyes watching her intently.

"Alright," chimed a voice over the small intercom system, "here's our newest addition to our cast of lovely ladies here at the _Ace of Spades_!" Kate found the source of the voice and discovered that it was Marty, Pinstripe's lead lackey, who was speaking. "This is Kate, who will be our Wednesday and weekend specials! She comes from a land far away, and knows just how to please a man within minutes!"

Several guys who had been drinking suddenly eyed her more curiously. Kate felt the need to vomit. Marty continued. "So, without further ado, please give a warm welcome to this extravagant female!"

Extravagant? Kate was actually amused. They made her out to be a foreigner (which, technically she was), but to be extremely sexually appealing. It was atrocious, but she had to roll with the punches before she could get a way out of there. To make herself feel less uncomfortable, she began to imagine herself as an actress, just doing it for a camera. Unexpectedly, it became a little easier; she always thought it would be cool to star in a movie.

Pinstripe observed her silently. For once, something was different about this one. All of the other girls he possessed were all mostly hookers with bad attitudes and weren't very talented with their acts. This one was more… genuine. No, no… genuine wasn't the right word…

"She's something, ain't she?" Nega suggested as he stopped by Pinstripe's side. "If you ask me, I think she'll rake in the dough."

"Well, she might bring in more paying customers," the potoroo agreed, "but… Clark here will also get some people of her own."

"What, you mean she'll go into prostitution? I don't think so," Nega replied with a scowl. "That's for the rest of the sluts you have. This redhead's mine."

"Then you'll have to pay for her," Pinstripe chuckled. Nega laughed, and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Tell you what. I'll advertise for her. Free of charge." He sighed, and looked back at Kate. "The odds are… she won't relent to me anytime soon, so she won't to any other guy, even by force. We can't make her do everything. She'd purposely leave anyone unsatisfied. The only thing authentic we have here are her dance moves."

"I have to coincide with you there," Pinstripe answered. "But how are we going to get this place off the ground?"

"Easy," Nega shrugged. "We have someone make posters and we set them up all over town."

"Wait. Her iddly-diddly little boyfriend could get a hold of one of them."

"Nah. As far as I know—and trust me, I know a lot—Crash never set foot in Wumpa City. Usually, Kate or his little sister would only come here to buy groceries for that little house they call home."

"I don't know, Nega. It'd be awful risky."

"Leave it to me. I know what to do. Your bar will be successful in no time. Have Archie design a few photos and paste them everywhere. In the meantime, I'd like a cooler put in my little room so I can wake up to a nice cold beer in the morning."

"You got yourself a deal," Pinstripe grinned deviously, and shook his ally's hand. "So where were you all night?"

Nega leaned back on the wall composedly, and placed a toothpick into his mouth. "I was out on business."

"What kind of business?"

"Payback, if that's what you'd like to call it." He decided to change the subject. "I was also wondering… did you ever think of making her sing?"

"Hm? Sing?" Pinstripe inquired. "Can she?"

"I don't know. I say we try out tomorrow morning. Instead of having her be a whore like Heidi and the rest of the women here, we turn her into our own little celebrity. After all, I hear North Americans can hit it off with that kind of country stuff. She wouldn't have to be a sex toy and we could still benefit. What do you say?"

Pinstripe considered Nega's proposal. He supposed it could work. "Why not? It's time to try something new. I'm not gaining anything from the old ways of before."

Nega began to walk off, stripping off his trench coat and throwing it over his forearm. "Glad you could see it. I'm off to get some shuteye."

* * *

Sorry, this chapter is so short; I was eager to post it. However, the next one will be longer! Thank you to those of you who review my stories! :)


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